Introduction

The start of everybody's journey working in a library is the recruitment process. Traditionally, this will have been stress-inducing, candidates unable to show their best side as they are trying to navigate unkind processes where adverts may close early, job application forms are all different, interviews are arranged at short notice with no idea who they are meeting or where to go. They are expected to be at their best when faced with questions they have no idea about and then, after all that, they wait days to find out if they have got the job. This can hugely impact the wellbeing of the candidate by stressing them out, especially as there may be many reasons that they are looking for a new job, some of which could be fundamental to their lifestyle such as financial or family needs.

We will address post-recruitment practices, highlighting the importance of feedback and relationship-building with candidates. Challenges and practical solutions to help implement kind recruitment in various organisational contexts will be discussed. The chapter will conclude with methods to measure the impact of kind recruitment on the organisation and its employees, ensuring that the practice of kindness remains a core element in the recruitment strategy. Additional resources and reflective questions will be provided to encourage the reader to engage actively with the concepts and integrate them into their own recruitment practices.

Reflective questions

■ How does your current recruitment process align with the principles of kindness and fairness?

■ Reflect on a recent recruitment exercise you conducted or participated in. In what ways could it have been more candidate-centred?